Hold Me in Your Heart
by BlueKittyGal
Summary: What's really going on behind the walls of the orphanage when Ed and Al return a runaway with a deep secret? AU, no real pairings but slight OCxEd, rating may change to T later.
1. Seeker

Ooookay, it's been a while since I originally started this on paper, so if I take a while to update, don't kill me. Also know that I wasn't dead-headed idea-wise, just lazy. 

"Damn it," Edward Elric moaned. "Why is Mustang sending a State Alchemist to find some twelve-year-old orphan?"

"He said she's special. What do you think he meant, brother?" Alphonse Elric asked as he followed his older brother out of Central Headquarters.

"Who knows? He said she never talks. Maybe she's mute?" Ed sighed. Special or not, this was hardly the work for a State Alchemist. "Well, whatever. Unless I want to be court-marshaled, we'll have to find her."

Once the brothers reached the center of the city, Ed began to question shopkeepers and inn staff if they knew anything about the girl. She didn't sound familiar to anyone; it seemed like they would never find her there, so they continued to move out to the eastern part of the city.

"Brother," Al said quietly. "Over there, I think I saw something move in that alley." Ed looked down the alley. For a moment nothing moved, but the unmistakable sound of footsteps coming closer meant someone was there. The brothers stood still as a young girl stepped out, her brown eyes large with curiosity. Her reddish-brown hair hung limply over her shoulders as she approached Edward.

"You're the orphan, who ran away, aren't you?" Al asked, judging by the well-used appearance of her clothing. The girl nodded.

"Then you'll have to come with us." Ed said impatiently. The girl looked up at him, her dark eyes connecting with his.

"I can't do that, Edward Elric of Resembool." She whispered.

Ed flinched. "How'd you know who I am?" He asked. The girl smiled, drawing closer to Ed until her face was inches from his. Ed didn't back away, but he didn't like her getting in his face.

"I'm a Seeker." She answered. Breaking eye contact with him, she bowed and ran down the alley. For a moment, Ed seemed to be in a dream-like state until he collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

"Brother!" Al exclaimed, picking Ed up and carrying him to a bench outside of a shop. "Brother, wake up!" Ed slowly opened his eyes.

"What… What the hell did that kid do to me..?" He asked groggily. Alphonse seemed just as confused as Edward.

"What did she mean when she said she was a 'Seeker'?" Al wondered out loud. Before he could find an answer, Ed stood up.

"C'mon Al, we've gotta find that brat and bring her back to the orphanage so we can continue to research the Philosopher's Stone." He said as he disappeared down the alley. Al soon followed, catching up to his brother in a few large steps.

"Brother, do we even know this girl's name?" Al whispered as they walked, cautiously avoiding stepping on rats.

Shaking his head, Ed replied, "No. Mustang said they never named her at the orphanage." They took a few more paces forward before the girl appeared from behind a box, leaning against the wall of a building. Ed stepped forward, glaring sternly at her. "What did you do to me before..?" He asked. The girl remained silent until her head raised and she was face-to-face with Ed again.

"I told you, I'm a Seeker; I Seeked you." She said calmly. Ed looked both confused and annoyed.

"What does that mean?" Ed said through gritted teeth, grabbing the girl by the arms. The girl looked intensely into Edward's eyes.

"You have a lot of questions, Fullmetal Alchemist." She said softly. "But I can only tell you this for now." Ed seemed even more confused and let go of her arms. "I **do **have a name. My name is Farsey." She stepped closer to Ed, making him uncomfortable. "The people at the orphanage are bad people. You won't take me back… will you?"

"We have to, Farsey." Ed muttered to her. Farsey's face saddened.

"It's like blindfolding the mute so the blind can hear." She whispered, barely audible.

"What?" Ed asked. "That makes no sense." Farsey smiled.

"It makes perfect sense to me. You'll know it too, next time we meet." She leaned in close, kissing Ed's cheek, before turning away and leaving.

"Brother, what was all that?" Al asked. "Brother?" Ed stood completely still, his face in a daze. "Ed… You're scaring me, brother!" Al reached his arms out just in time to catch his brother before he fell to the ground. Once again, Ed was unconscious.

It seems confusing, I know, but it'll make sense later. Also, her name is pronounced Far-zee. Just letting you know cause I know these OC names can be rediculous when attempting to pronounce. So uh.. comment if you like, advise if you see problems, and if you flame you'll be eaten by my kitties. J/k, j/k! 


	2. The Blindfolded

Edward awoke in his bed at the inn he and his brother were staying at. After looking around for a few moments, he realized he had been asleep since his encounter with Farsey. He also noticed Al wasn't there.

"Hm?" Looking around again, he saw a note pinned to the inside of the door. "Went to get you breakfast, be back soon." He read aloud. As he was walking back to his bed, the door opened and Al came in.

"Oh, Brother, you're awake! I was worried!" He said, setting a tray of food on the bedside table. "You know, I've been curious about that girl. How did she know all of that stuff about you?"

"I don't know," Ed said sleepily. "Let's find her and find out."

After Edward took some time to prepare himself, he and Al returned to the alley they had previously seen Farsey at. He searched the entire area, but the young orphan was no where to be found.

"Where could she have gone?" Ed asked himself crossly. "And why is Mustang making us do this? She might be dangerous or something!"

"Brother, I think that's _why_ the colonel sent us. Not everyone can defend themselves with alchemy like we can." Al pointed out. Ed gave an annoyed groan, muttering something about Mustang and being pompous. His ramblings didn't last long, as running sounds echoed from the main road and sounds of pursuit followed.

"Get back here, you little thief!" A man shouted. Ed and Al watched as the orphan they had been looking for came running toward them with an angry man in pursuit. Ed stepped out just in time to grab Farsey by the arm, pulling her toward him. The man stopped to catch his breath for a moment. "Thanks, young man. This little thief owes me!" Farsey stepped closer to Ed.

"What'd she do?" He asked. The man scowled at the girl.

"For a week now she's been stealing from my fruit stand. This time I have her, though." Al stepped in front of the man as he reached his arm out to grab Farsey.

"I'm sorry sir, but this girl has to come with us." He said calmly. "My brother is a State Alchemist, and he was ordered to bring her back. We'd be willing to cover the cost of whatever this girl stole from you." The man stood there blinking for a moment.

"H-he's a State Alchemist? You're joking, right?" The man began to laugh, and Ed's grip on Farsey's arm tightened. She pulled at her arm, trying to get away, when he realized what he was doing.

"Look, kid. I don't know what other kind of trouble you might be in, but you're coming with us, so don't even try to get away this time!" The man from the fruit stand straightened up.

"Anyway, y'know what, forget the money. If you're a State Alchemist like this guy says, I'll let her off if you just fix my sign for me." Ed sighed.

"Fine," He and Al followed the man, keeping Farsey in his grip the whole way. She didn't struggle much, but they didn't want to lose her again. Once the sign was fixed, the three began walking. "Alright kid, tell me, what do you keep doing that makes me pass out?" Silence. "I asked you a question!" Ed was getting angry.

"Brother, let me try," Al piped up. "Erm, Farsey, right? Why don't you want to go back to the orphanage?" Farsey didn't respond. It was as if she couldn't even hear them, but they knew she could talk because of what she said before. Ed stopped walking. "Something wrong, brother?"

"Hey Al, stand behind me, incase I conk out again." Ed said, with a curious look on his face.

"Wait, what?" Al asked.

"Just do it, Al. I'm gonna try something." Ed looked Farsey right in the eye. He could feel a strangeness come over him. "This time, I expect you to answer my questions." Farsey stared at him for a moment before he spoke again. Her eyes searched him, as if she could read him like a book. "What keeps happening to me whenever we talk?" Ed asked.

"I… I'm not sure." Farsey answered. She seemed genuinely uncertain. "It happens with everybody. I don't know why they sleep when I Seek them."

"What do you mean when you say you 'Seek' people?" Ed stared intensely at her.

For a moment Farsey seemed pensive. "I'm not supposed to talk about it."

"Why not?" Ed asked. Al was watching intently.

"No one believes me. Every time I try and explain I get put back…" She trailed off. Ed sighed.

"Look," He said thoughtfully. She had obviously been through something, and he didn't want to make her feel threatened. "You're running away from this orphanage, so you obviously don't care to follow their rules. Now, why can't you talk about it?" Farsey stared into Ed's eyes.

"Remember what I said before?" Farsey asked. Ed nodded. "I'm the one that was blindfolded."

"But, you're not mute…" Al said confused. Farsey shook her head.

"I'm a Seeker, and all Seekers are mute…" She kept her gaze on Edward, with sorrow filling her face as she recalled a memory that scraped her insides, trying to get out.

"But you're talking right now." Ed pointed out.

"Haven't you noticed, yet?" She replied. "You've been watching my eyes. My mouth hasn't moved." Ed and Al both realized what she said, or they thought she said, was true; her mouth hadn't moved this entire time, yet she was somehow speaking to them. "Seekers speak with their eyes," Farsey continued. "We talk through thought, but we can only do so when we make eye contact. When we connect eyes with someone," She continued, "we can learn things about them. It scares them, and that's why…" Her voice trailed and she didn't make any attempt to finish her sentence.

"Farsey," Ed said softly. "Just what did you learn from me?"

"You're asking if I know what you and your brother did, aren't you?" She asked. "I know. And it's that kind of knowledge that killed my parents…" Farsey looked away. When she did, Ed got lightheaded, but he didn't faint. When his mind had cleared, he let go of her arm.

"So your parents were killed for something they knew?" He asked her. She nodded. Though he had no idea what it was exactly, Ed knew he was getting into something. For now, he would keep Farsey with him, until he knew more.


	3. It Hurts

It had been almost three days since Ed and Al's discovery of Farsey's ability. They still knew nothing more about her, and it seemed the harder they pressed, the less she would cooperate. It did seem, though, that Al was immune to her gaze; she couldn't 'Seek' him, nor would he faint after talking to her. On the other hand, Edward seemed to become more susceptible if they didn't talk for a while. It was a major setback for him, but he made a point of holding regular conversations with the strange orphan, to keep from being caught off-guard. In the morning, he would have to get up earlier to allow time for dizziness to wear off after a night of silence, but after the first conversation of the day, he seemed to be alright until he needed to talk to her. By now it was coming to the close of a long, tiring day, consisting of a lot of yelling and many strange looks. Ed stamped up the stairs to their room, slamming the door. Al stood there, sighing at his brother's short temper.

"Brother, you idiot…" He muttered, turning to face Farsey. "Well, this is going to be a while. Why don't you show me what you did during the time you were alone? You must've found something to do." Farsey shrugged, leading Al outside of the inn. She led him to the alley they had first met at, but instead of staying there, she picked up something from the ground and carried it out into the fading sunlight. When Al first saw it, he couldn't tell what she was doing, because what she had was in a shoe box. Opening the lid, Farsey pulled out a string with shards of broken glass tied to it. There were different colors, sizes and shapes to each shard, and when she held it up in the sun, it sparkled and reflected a rainbow on the ground.

Turning her head to face Al, she asked, "Do you like it? I made it with things I found laying around on the street." Al would've smiled if he could, but the best he could do to show that he liked it was to nod his head. Such a simple thing as glass in the sun was something he would never have thought to do when traveling with his older brother. Something like that would only take up space, and he really had no time for such things any more.

"It's pretty," He told her. She smiled in a way that Al hadn't yet seen, and swirling the string in a circular motion, she caused the rainbow to dance on the ground. Even with such a strange gift, Al thought, she was still just an ordinary girl underneath. Still just wanting to play, still taking pleasure in the simple things. "Farsey,"

"Yes?" She smiled.

"Do you like the gift you have?" He asked. The smile on the child's face faded with the string of color as she placed the string in the box. Al had clearly caught her off-guard with his question, and she seemed to be thinking, as if she herself were unsure.

"It's not really something I have a choice to like or not." She told him. "I used to love being able to talk with my thoughts, and to Seek people, but after Momma and Daddy were killed, I hated it. I didn't want to have a gift that could get me killed. Now, I just want to be normal. I don't want people to treat me specially, because often the only different treatment I get hurts."

Al thought about what she said. "Why don't we go and see if Ed's calmed down yet?" He said. He never thought about how she might be treated differently for her ability, only that she might not like what it did to people. As they walked, nothing was said, and the feeling Al had when he saw the rainbows had vanished into a pool of thought.

-Meanwhile-

Edward flopped face-first onto his bed. "The nerve of that kid," His muffled voice said through the pillow. "You don't understand, you don't understand!" He mocked. He sat up, staring at the ceiling with a sigh. "Can you believe that brat, Al?" He asked. Looking around, he realized Al wasn't there. "He must've stayed with Farsey." He moaned. "Great, I'm all alone up here, and that stupid kid is out there somewhere. I wouldn't be surprised if she ran off." Hanging his head, he stood up. "Why did that lazy son of a- oh never mind, I'm wasting time talking to myself about how idiotic this is when that kid might be getting away from Al by now." He left the inn, scratching his head. "Where should I go?" He pondered. "That alley hasn't let us down yet." He told himself. He made his way half-heartedly to the alley where he had found Farsey at, muttering the whole way. When he got close, he could see Al's armor body was already there, and so was Farsey. It looked like someone had just said something serious. He kept walking, but stopped before they saw him. He made sure they had their backs to him before leaning in closer. He could just make out what they were saying.

"…But after Momma and Daddy were killed, I hated it. I didn't want to have a gift that could get me killed. Now, I just want to be normal. I don't want people to treat me specially, because often the only different treatment I get hurts."

_I wonder if she's referring to the orphanage, _he thought,_ So that's why_ s_he wouldn't tell me more about it…_


	4. It's Okay

It was late in the morning after Farsey had opened up to Alphonse. She hadn't said anything to Edward the rest of that day, and it was almost noon now and she still kept her silence. Ed kept wondering if he should say something, but he couldn't think of anything to say that wouldn't sound suspicious. Even Al began to notice the strange silence. As the three sat in their room, Al looked from his brother, who was completely absorbed in a book, to Farsey, who seemed to be trying to conceal fear as she stared out the window from her bed. Though he wasn't sure why she'd be afraid, his best guess was that the fight she and Ed had the other day is making her watch herself so that they wouldn't send her to the orphanage.

"Farsey," Edward said, breaking the silence that had engulfed them all. He put his book down, walking over to the mute. "About yesterday," He started. He looked down at the girl with sympathy. She wouldn't look at him, but kept staring out the window. "I just want to ask you something." He sat on the bed next to her. "I want you to answer me, so look at me." Farsey dropped her gaze to the ground for a moment before her dark eyes lifted to meet Edward's gaze. Alphonse watched curiously; what would Ed ask her that she hasn't already refused to answer?

It took Farsey a few minutes to acknowledge that she was listening, though Ed couldn't say anything in that time anyway. He was waiting for dizziness to go away as Farsey seemed to be Seeking for the question before he asked it. "I want to ask you why you-"

"You were there..?" She cut him off, intimidation showing in her eyes. The sympathy Ed felt turned to embarrassment. He hadn't even thought that she might try to read his mind before he could talk to her. Farsey stood up and ran to Alphonse, crying about Ed having heard what she wasn't ready to tell him. When she had broken eye contact with Ed, he fell across the bed, barely conscious.

"Farsey, what's wrong?" Al asked. She looked up at him, and he wiped the tears from her eyes. She stopped crying.

"He saw us and heard me. I didn't want him to hear me talk like that." She answered. She hugged Al's metal body. While Ed could seem intimidating, Farsey looked to Al for comfort. To her, he was like a brother. She had learned to talk to him in the times when Ed had scared her, and he had learned to listen.

"Brother was there?" Al asked himself. He sighed. "Ed, why didn't you say anything…" Farsey stood silent. She looked over at Ed, waiting for him to wake up. When he began to stir, Farsey sat next to him. She still seemed intimidated, but she forced herself to sort this out.

"Edward, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you faint." She spoke quietly when he looked at her, as if she didn't want to have to say anything. "I just got so upset. I didn't intend for you to hear that, but I didn't try to block you either. I didn't know you were there and…" She stopped talking when Ed looked away. This time he seemed alright.

"Farsey, just listen to me, okay?" He said. He shook his head. "I was going to ask you why you wouldn't tell me anything, and then I was going to tell you what I had over heard." Farsey looked down at the bed, feeling uncomfortable. For a moment, there was silence again. Edward noticed how Farsey seemed to be thinking, her eyes focused and unmoving. He put his hand on her shoulder, making her jump. He didn't make eye contact with her when she looked up. "I'm sorry." He wasn't sure whether he felt angry that she didn't trust him, yet would confide in his brother, or sad. Either way he felt, he knew it was his own fault for pushing her to tell him things she wasn't ready to say.

Farsey stared at Edward, trying to say something, but unable to make a sound. She grabbed his face, trying to make him look at her, but he resisted. He wasn't sure if she would be mad, or if she was going to tell him something out of the pressure of the moment. When trying to make him look at her failed, Farsey sat on the floor in front of him and tried to look him in the eyes, yet he turned his head. Alphonse watched her follow his head, trying to speak, and couldn't help but laugh as Ed made her go in circles around him. When Farsey could see his face, she could see he too was smiling as she struggled. Out of sheer frustration, Farsey pushed Ed backward onto the bed and held him down by his shoulders. He couldn't help but look at her, or keep his eyes closed. Since she had already spent a good amount of time trying to talk, he finally let her. He smiled at the frustration she had as she held him there.

"It's my turn to talk now." She said, lightening up. She kept Ed pinned, just to be sure, but she wasn't upset that he had been trying to avoid her. "I was going to say, it's…" She sighed, which seemed strange since Ed could only hear it, but her mouth stayed closed. "…It's okay. I was upset at first but now I know it's okay that you heard. I know what part of my life you are now, so… So I guess I can tell you more now." When it seemed like she had no more to say, Ed pushed her off and sat up.

He began to seem more like his usual self again when he smirked and said, "About time you trusted me." Farsey smiled, all traces of fear and discomfort gone. "Now, why don't you start from the beginning?"


End file.
